In this article, we will review how to import Project Desktop tasks as Key Dates to the PPM Express project.
Please note: this functionality applies to the tasks imported from the .mpp file without linking projects. In this case, you can import tasks as key dates following the steps described in this article.
If you added a Project Desktop connection to PPM Express and linked the PPM Express project to the Project Desktop project, you can import tasks from the Project Desktop project to the PPM Express project as Key Dates.
Please note: Only users with permission to edit PPM Express projects can import Key Dates.
If the Project Desktop connection is not added and the Project Desktop project is not linked to the PPM Express project yet, then to import Key Dates, it is required to have Manage Integrations and Edit Project permissions to add the connection.
To import tasks from the Project Desktop project as Key Dates to the PPM Express project, perform the following:
1. Open the PPM Express project linked to the Project Desktop project where you would like to import Key Dates.
2. Navigate to the Key Dates section of the project and select the Import Key Date option.
3. In the Import Key Date window, it is possible to search for the required Project Desktop task by Name, Type, or ID. Or you can just click in the search window and 10 Project Desktop project tasks will become available for selection. As you select to import them as Key dates, the next tasks will become available in the list.
4. To select the task you would like to import, just click on it, and it will be added to the list of the selected items. When ready with the selection, click Confirm to import the selected tasks to PPM Express as Key Dates.
You can delete the unnecessary items from this list.
5. As you click Confirm, the selected items will be added to the Key Dates section.
Please note: The statuses, due dates, and the names for the imported Key Dates are imported from Project Project Desktop and cannot be changed within PPM Express. If there are any changes to the tasks in the Project Desktop project, they will be applied to PPM Express Key Dates automatically if you use the Project Publisher to publish the tasks to PPM Express. Only internal PPM Express fields and the Key Date type can be edited in the imported Key Dates.
Statuses will be set according to the task finish date, taking into account the current date:
- 'Done' will be set for the tasks with 'Completed' status in Project Desktop.
- 'Critical' will be set for the tasks that are late >10 days and not completed.
- 'At risk' will be set for the tasks that are late <=10 days and not completed.
- 'On Track' will be set for all other cases for the tasks where the date field is greater than the current date (today).
Please note: These formulas will be applied unless the user changes the thresholds on the PPM Insights settings page.
The Project Desktop icon next to the tasks indicates that they were imported.
The Baseline can be set for all PPM Express Key Dates. To set the baseline, select the Key Dates and click the Set Baseline button (the Baseline is created for the Date field).
The Baseline tab becomes available if you open the Key Date for editing.
To remove the Baseline mark from the timeline view, click on the 'Style' option and disable the Show Baseline option.
To delete the imported Key Dates, perform the following:
1. Open the PPM Express project where Project Desktop tasks were imported as Key Dates.
2. Select the Key Dates you need to delete from the list.
3. Click the Delete Key Date button.
4. Confirm that you would like to remove the Key Dates. The selected Key Dates will be deleted at once.
Please note: After data synchronization, the deleted Key Dates will not appear again in the Key Dates section automatically. If you need to add the deleted items again, it will be needed to import them following the steps described in the 'Importing Project Desktop tasks as Key Dates' section of this article.
If the PPM Express project is linked to several systems and the Key dates are imported from all systems, then in the Import Key dates window, it will be possible to switch between these systems. Switching between the systems, you can review and manage the list of imported key dates for each system separately.